Ship Wreck
by ElspethQ
Summary: AU. Vegeta is sent to a nearby planet in order to perform a coming of age ritual that consists of him surviving six months in solitude with the most basic of supplies. The problem is that he can't shake the feeling that something or someone is watching him.
1. Chapter 1 Who are you?

Vegeta looked forlorn at the green planet below him. Sighing he turned and checked his bag one last time. He pushed past the spare clothes and medical kit to be sure that his scouter was still there. No food or water. Not even a simple pot could to accompany him on his journey. He checked the hunting knife over before placing it back in its sheath with a frown.

"Don't look so glum, son. This is an adventure!" The King boasted as he entered Vegeta's room unannounced.

"Blasted tent takes up too much room." Vegeta complained.

"Trust me, you'll need it. There are no civilizations down there. No sentient beings at all. This will be your only shelter while you're there. That is, until you build one." The king proclaimed.

"This is ridiculous. I should be training." Vegeta countered.

"This is your right of passage. You will turn eighteen soon. You have to prove your ability to. . ." the King began but was cut short by Vegeta.

"This is a complete waste of my time. I am already stronger than any elite soldier. None would dare challenge me." Vegeta said proudly.

"You will come back a changed man, my son. Then we can look for a proper mate for the heir to the throne." King Vegeta said as he slapped his son heartily on his back. Vegeta glared at his father. "This is tradition. You will do this, voluntarily or otherwise." The King threatened.

The King placed his arm around the Prince as he shouldered his bag. They began walking to the loading bay. They came to stop outside a small shuttlecraft. As Vegeta went to enter his father stopped him.

"Remember, this is not only about survival but about finding yourself. You have experienced much but never solitude, not like this. A proper King must make decisions without anyone's advice. If you must you can use your scouter to call for assistance but I doubt you will need to. If we do not hear from you we will be back in six months. Think of it as six months of uninterrupted training." The King offered as Vegeta scowled at him. "And remember – no flying!" The King called.

Vegeta said nothing but entered the space shuttle. The door closed with a hiss and the shuttle lifted off. The King turned to his trusted friend and advisor, "Are you sure this is the right thing for him, Bardock?" he asked.

"Yes, he will return a changed man. I have seen it." Bardock said.

"I only hope it's for the better. Solitude is not a friend to everyone. I personally detested my time on that planet." The King said solemnly.

"The young prince has seen too much of war, too much blood-shed at his own hands. That tyrant has damaged him. In the silence of this ritual he will fight his demons. He will learn to listen to his heart. He will become the King he was meant to be." Bardock said.

oOo

Vegeta remained silent during the space shuttle ride to the planet's surface. His body guard, Nappa, had tried to engage him in conversation but if had failed. Truth-be-told he was not the same since his service under Lord Frieza. He had become hardened and his heart had become cold, not even his little brother could move him. Most people avoided him. As stories of his exploits under Frieza reached Vegetasai he had earned the nickname of The Dark Prince and he intended to live up to that name.

As he stepped out onto the grassy hills he didn't offer a look back at his old mentor. He just began walking, ignoring the warnings be shouted to him as he entered the forest. Where there was vegetation there was water and where there was water there was bound to be game to hunt. Thusly he would find his way in the dense forest.

A rare rodent ran in the trees overhead but Vegeta could find no tracks of larger game. Vegeta did not find a water source either. Growing impatient with the setting sun he stopped and rummaged through his bag. Retrieving his scouter he placed it on his head and scanned the area life forms. Multiple weak signatures popped up all over but nothing of significance.

With a growl of frustration he returned the scouter to his bag and dredged on. When he came to a small clearing in the woods he decided to make camp. He took out his tent and pitched it. He gathered some stones to form a fire pit. Thirty minutes later he had some fallen trees cut into logs and ready to burn, the rest stacked away for later.

The darkness blanketed the forest floor. The tree tops narrowly allowing the moon light to seep through. As Vegeta formed a ki ball in his hands to light the fire he heard a twig 'snap' and he turned in that direction to look, but saw nothing. He leaned in to the pit and let his ki light the fire. As he stood and looked proudly at his camp he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

"Ridiculous." Vegeta proclaimed to the night.

oOo

Vegeta wasn't sure when he finally dozed off but he awoke with a startle. For the first time in his life there was no one to answer to, no one to tell him when to wake up. He was disorientated without knowing what time it was. He searched his bag until he found his scouter. 9:45 AM the digital display read.

"At least I know what time it is back there. That doesn't help me here." Vegeta said with a scowl. He left his shelter and looked around. Based on the shadows, the sun was nearly overhead.

"Wonderful. Just freaking wonderful." He spat as he kicked a stone. Just then is stomach grumbled in protest as he skipped supper last night and breakfast today so he set out to rectify the situation. Unfortunately for Vegeta there were no large game to be had and he had to settle for the furry rodents from the trees.

The smell of the meat cooking over the fire drew the attention of some small animal Vegeta determined as something was definitely circling his camp. Whatever it was, it was small enough Vegeta was not able to make it out from the shadows.

That night Vegeta dreamt of his service to Lord Frieza and woke up in an even fouler mood than he had gone to sleep in. His body protested sleeping on the hard ground but he ventured out through the forest and found a grassy hill. Here he performed his katas with strict precision. He moved on to strengthening exercises but found it hard to concentrate when once again the feeling that he was being watched over take him.

"By the Great Oozaroo! I cannot stand this place!" Vegeta shouted in frustration. He had been here barely two days and already felt like he was losing his mind. He made the short trek back to his campsite and immediately could sense something wasn't right.

"Something went through my stuff!" Vegeta said incredulously.

He checked his bag but nothing was missing. That's when he noticed the bowl carved from a fallen tree filled with clear water. He sat it down and looked around. Off in the distance he see the slightest bit if what looks like blue fur running off in the distance. When he reaches down to grab the bowl he sees a plastic pouch with alien writing on it. He tears it open to reveal what looks like soldier's rations inside. After smelling the water and testing it with his finger he determined that it was fresh and he greedily accepted the offerings from wherever they came.

The following day he repeats his routine. He lets his anger out while fighting unseen foes. When he returns to the camp there is nothing. Nor has he felt those watchful eyes upon him this day.

"I must be losing my mind!" Vegeta groans. "How does one find oneself without their mind intact?" Vegeta complains. Disappointed he finds sleep come difficultly.

On the fourth day of his quest he returns to the clearing to find some of the grass has been cut away. "This is definitely odd." Vegeta murmurs as he goes to inspect. He crouches down near the clearing and finds a trap near a rabbit hole. He stands quickly and looks around. There are no animal tracks or foot prints, but he is certain he is not alone. He returns to his camp warily. He feels the eyes upon him once more and once more he finds the wooden bowl with water.

As if waking from a dream he makes the stark realization of how dry his throat is and drinks the water without even testing it this time. Something, no someone is out there watching him. They must not know who I am or they would not dare enter my camp he reasons to himself. This being avoids me during the daylight but watches me. Are they afraid? He wonders in silence. Deciding it would be prudent to befriend this person in order to find the source of their water and food supply he decided to change up his routine. He kicks dirt onto the sparse flames at his camp, sits, and begins to meditate on how to accomplish his goal.

As the sun begins to set on the distant horizon he feels the tingle of someone's presence. Their ki is so low that he had mistaken it for an animal many times he realizes. This being had been following him, watching him from the beginning. He willed his heart rate to slow and his respirations to even out. As the presence draws near he senses another presence but cannot place it. He wills himself to stay still, wanting to earn this man's trust. It must be a male warrior of some sort to survive out here he reasons.

He is drawn from his thoughts as warning bells begin to go off in his head. He opens his eyes in time to see a graceful figure drop from the trees above him. In a moment of confusion he falls back slightly and looks past the figure in front of him to the charging wild boar. The figure in front of him has their back to him, growling and is arched towards the boar which has stopped. Grunting the boar turns to leave.

Vegeta, realizing that his supper was running away stands and faces his palm in the direction of the boar with every intent of blasting the animal when a slender hand grasps his outstretched one, halting his attack. His eyes trace the form of the slender hand down to a pair of tone arms and eventually to the pleading eyes of the little female in front of him.

His confusion was evident on his face as he took in the slender form of the female in front of him. All anger vanquished at his lost meal as he stared into the blue eyes of the beautiful creature before him. He gently reached out and touched a tendril of her blue hair.

"Who are you?" He asks in a whisper as he releases her hair.

She stops and looks at him, her head cocked to the side in confusion.

A thought crosses his mind as he tells her, "Wait here, don't run away." He walks several paces back to his bags and grabs a scouter. Sliding it on his head he returns to find her poking at the dead fire pit with a stick, her eyes carefully observing.

Vegeta sits next to her and carefully creates a small ki ball appear in his hand as he watches her for her reaction. Her eyes grow wide but she doesn't run. "So, you have seen me do this before have you?" He asks quietly. Her eyes dart from his hand to the fire pit, expectantly. Seeing that she understands what he is doing he leans down and sets the logs aflame as she watches. Once again she giggles as she puts her hands out to feel the warmth.

"You like the fire?" He asks.

Now that the campfire is burning he can see that she is relatively clean. She smells of the forest trees and soil. She has no shoes and what remains of her clothes are torn and tattered rags but likewise are similarly clean.

"You know where fresh water is. You must, in order to survive out here. Will you show me?" He asks, again careful to keep his voice low for fear of scaring her off.

She does not answer but looks at him, her brows furrowed in concentration. She reaches out and takes his hand carefully in her little one and turns it over. She points from the fire to his hand and back again, her eyes wide and her movements exited. He looks as her for a moment with confusion before realizing what she is asking him.

"You want to know how I did that, make the fire?" He asks and is rewarded with a smile.

"Can you not talk? It would make it so much easier to calibrate this thing." He says jokingly as he taps the scouter on the side of his head.

She reaches out and takes the scouter from his head and puts it on her own and studies the display. "Give that back! You little. . ." Vegeta says is frustration but as he reaches out to take it she jumps from her seat and just out of reach. She sticks out a finger and waves it at him.

"No?" He asks, incredulously.

"N-nnn-oo" she mimics back at him in his own tongue.

"So you can talk!" He says boisterously. "Good, give it here. I need that to find water." He tells her.

"W-at-er?" She asks again speaking in Saiyan.

"Yes, water." Feeling himself beginning to lose his patience he sits and grabs a stick and draws three squiggly lines and a water drop in the dirt. "Water" he says, pointing to the symbols.

She studies the image before her face brightened with understanding. She walks up to him and takes him by the hand before he allows her to lead him into the forest. He remains quiet as he carefully watches her for signs of subversion but he can find none. She is graceful and beautiful as she carefully walks in front of him. Suddenly she stops, releasing his hand, and hold her hand out in warning.

"What is it?" He asks.

"SSHHT" She sounds in reply.

"Silly female. There is nothing I cannot defend myself from." He boasts as he steps in front of her.

His eyes search the darkness for threat as he hears her climb a nearby tree. Suddenly a large pack of wolves enter the small clearing and lunge at him. He throws the first one off without a hesitation when a second one bites into his left arm. He rolls and blasts the wolf, it releases him as it howls in pain and runs off. A third wolf jumps past him and he sees that there are two others circling the little female up in the tree. He blasts each one and the pack runs off.

He walks up to the tree and motions for her to come down, "Its safe now, little female. You can come down" he urges.

As she climbs down the tree he takes a moment to survey the damage the wolf did to his arm and he peels back the sleeve of his shirt. She looks sadly at his arm before beginning to walk off. She stops several paces away and clicks her tongue at him to make sure he is still following her.

"Yes, alright. I'm coming." He calls to her.

A short while later they come to a large clearing where the trees give way to a rocky embankment and a river flowing serenely through. He stands and watches in awe as she dances at the water's edge. "Water!" She shouts with a smile.

He walks up to join her as she tears part of her garment off and dips it in the cool water and places the makeshift bandage on his arm. He resists the urge to hiss as the cold water comes in contact with the open flesh of his wounds. He sits on the shore as she repeats the process until no more blood comes from the bites. She takes one last rinse of the scrap of fabric and ties it over his arm. So far he has been quietly watching her tend his wounds, something his mother had only done for him as a child, not knowing what else to do. Her innocent and quiet nature is soothing and he finds himself relaxed in her company.

As she tied the knot on the bandage she looked up and smiled at him and he grinned back at her. She turned to get up and he stopped her by placing his hand on her arm. "Thank you." He said, nearly having to force the foreign words from his mouth.

"Tha-a-nk y-oo" she mimicked in return before dashing back into the water only to return a few minutes later carrying a fish. "Water!" She said excitedly as she ran back to the river, still carrying the fish. As he came to stand next to her she threw the fish back in and pointed to the river. "Water." She repeated as she looks proudly at the river.

"And there goes dinner." Vegeta said with a groan as his stomach echoed a growl in frustration.

She turns to look at him and giggles. "No" she tells him as she takes his hand and he again allows her to lead him across the river to the other side. As they cross the brush into a thinly wooded area a metallic glint hits hit eye. She releases her hold of his hand and twirls around.

"Water." She says in a more serious tone.

"No, not water." He tells her as he walks passed her and runs his hands on the smooth metal exterior of a spaceship. Realization dawns on him that the crude drawing on the water and the water droplet were reminiscent of a map of the river and the craft in front of them. He turns and looks at her inquisitively, "Is this were you sleep? Is this how you stay safe?" He asks when a troubling thought occurs to him. "Are there others like you?" He asks but he can tell by her expression that she does not understand him. He walks around the exterior until he finds the opening, the door permanently stuck ajar. He forms a ki ball in his hand for light as he carefully enters the ship. He tenses momentarily as he hears her bare foot steps padding on the cold metal floor.

She giggles as she pushes past him into the next room which is partially lit by the moonlight. "Silly female" he grumbles as she reaches out and flips a switch on the wall and the room is suddenly illuminated by several lights attached to the walls.

"No si-ll-ee, Bulma." She says as she stands with her hands behind her back, her head held proudly. The scouter left discarded on the table.

Vegeta stands in awe at the vision of the space craft in front of him. It was obviously built to be luxorious and top of line in its day. Question was, by whom. He picks up the scouter and turns it on. No life signals, other than that of animals, the little female and himself. She is all alone. Faced with more questions than answers he began to wander around the room and look at the books and pictures on the walls. That's when he saw it, a picture of a blue haired little girl with what Vegeta presumed where her parents. The male wore a white coat and glasses and the yellow haired woman was holding the little girl who could not have been more than three summers old. He was pulled from his thoughts when the little female came to stand next to him and handed him a bag of rations. He watched in amusement as she used her teeth to open her own and daintily used her fingers to eat.

She smiled at him and then looked at the picture. She put her finger over the little girl's face in the photo, "Bulma" she said sadly.

He cupped her face with his hand, "Bulma" he repeated and she smiled, pushing her face slightly into his caress before walking off and sitting on one of the couches in the common area. He followed her and sat next to her. Taking her hand in his he placed her hand on his face, "Vegeta" he said. He watched as her mind quickly connected the dots.

"Va-gi-ta." She repeated as he shook his head in confirmation.

"That's the first words you have said on your own. I'm starting to think that it's not a matter of you can't speak, you just never learned how." He teased. Although she may not have understood the words she understood their intent as evidenced by her pouting. "At this rate you will learn my language before we decipher any of this" he said motioning to the room around them.

Bulma stood, stretched, and yawned. She crossed the room into the hall and Vegeta followed. He now could see that there was a kitchen and dining area across the hall and to the left a ladder that the little female was climbing. He stood at the base of the ladder, not sure if he was supposed to follow her or not for a moment as she disappeared to the second floor. A minute later her head peaked out from the opening and she began clicking her tongue at him and waving her hand that he should follow.

"You want me to follow you again?" He asked, once again teasing her. She looked at him with confusion and frustration. He pointed to himself and then the ladder "Vegeta follow Bulma?" he asked.

She seemed to ponder his words before smiling and shaking her head, "Vegeta fall-o Bulma" she repeated. Vegeta could only grin, "You're a quick study." He commented as he followed her up the ladder to the second floor. The area was a dome with a clear view of the night sky and the stars twinkling over head. In the middle of the room were blankets and pillows in a messy pile on top of which Bulma sat looking up at the stars. Vegeta tentatively sat down next to her. He gazed into the stars until he felt his eyelids become heavy. He turned to find Bulma snuggled in next to him fast asleep. Deciding there were worse places to be sleeping he let sleep pull him under with the little female secured at his side.

oOo

Vegeta woke to the sun shining brilliantly over head. The morning had not yet passed. As he stretched out his body did not protest the sleeping arrangements from last night. He looked around and to his disappointment the little female was nowhere in sight. He climbed down the ladder and decided to explore the space craft in her absence. The kitchen area had a functioning refrigerator and to his surprise, running water. He found a bathroom with a shower and toilet. He crossed the hall back in to the common area. He had not noticed earlier but there was a door on the far end of the room. When he crossed the room and was about to open the door, Bulma appeared.

"No." She called and halted his advancement.

"Why? What's in there?" He asked as he turned to face her. What he saw chilled him to the bone. This creature that had stood up to a wild boar was . . . afraid. He fear was so palpable he could almost taste it. So, instead of satiating his curiosity, he once again allowed her to lead him outside. She released his hand and tied her skirt up before wading into the water. He sat on the rocky shore and watched as she caught a fish and brought it back to him. She waded back into the water and returned with another fish, but instead of handing it to him she walked back up the slope towards the ship.

Once up the hill Vegeta saw what she was waiting for. She had built her own fire pit and put fallen logs and twigs into it. She even fashioned a spit to sit over the flames. As he sat down next to her she took his hand and held it out towards the fire pit.

"You do not know how to make your own fire?" He asked with a grin before forming a ki ball in his hand. He watches as her eyes grow round.

"F-f-i-re!" She says gleefully and claps.

He smirks and lights the logs on fire. She takes the fish and puts them on her makeshift spit over the fire. He leans back and watches as she stares at the fish cooking. They pass the time in a comfortable silence until Vegeta sits up and turns the fish so they can finish cooking evenly. She turns her head slightly to look at him and smiles brightly at him.

He sees a leaf sticking out of her hair and pulls it out before running his hands through her tangle hair. "Too bad people back home are not this agreeable" he says softly as he gazes into her eyes. She smiles at him and he can tell by the look in her eyes she is thinking about something. "I wish I knew what you were thinking, woman" he grumbles.

Her smile falters and the look of concern passes over her features. The distant sound of thunder answers his question before it could form on his lips. He turns to face the western sky and the looming threat of a storm follows on the wind. He grabs the fish and kicks the fire out. "Time to go inside" he instructs but she is already gone. As he makes his way into the shuttle he forces the door closed with some effort. He turns and finds her in the kitchen placing two glasses on the table with two plates. She reaches into the refridgerator and pulls out a water pitcher. The pair sit in silence as the storm rages on outside.

When they finished eating they move to the common area. He sits across from her and watches her movements, each time she jumps with the lightning but not the thunder. "You understand, don't you? The lightning creates the thunder. There is no surprise that the thunder is coming." He states. She doesn't answer but looks at him with confusion.

"Alright. We have to do something about this language barrier." He says as he stands. He walks across the room and picks up a book and holds it out for her to see. "Book" he states and he waits.

"Bo-o-k." She replies.

"Good. Now let's try this one. Light." He says, pointing to the light.

"L-li-ght." She calls.

"Very good." He responds and is greeted with a smile.

And so they spend the remainder of the day with Vegeta pointing things out and naming them with Bulma repeating them. They stop to eat on occasion but before long the day is spent and Vegeta turns to see Bulma yawning. He takes her upstairs to her room and covers her up. He turns to leave and her hand reaches out and grabs his arm.

"No. Vegeta follow Bulma" she says sleepily.

With a tired sigh he lies down next to her and allows her to pull his arm over her. "Okay. Vegeta follow Bulma" he says as he closes his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2 Moving On

Vegeta woke up before the sun had properly come over the horizon with the feeling that something was terribly wrong. He lay still feeling the warmth of the body pressed closely against his own. Part of him wanted to linger and enjoy the feeling of the little female but at the same time his mind was racing with an unknown source of panic. He flexed his fingers and his palm slid over the smooth skin of her bare hip. His body unwillingly responding to her closeness. _This is wrong_ , his mind screamed at him and he could stand it no more. He slid out from the coverings and away from her. He sneered at himself as he looked to be sure he had not woken her. He silently grabbed his boots and climbed the ladder down to the main floor.

No longer near her intoxicating scent he was able to calm himself and the realization hit him as to what had woke him up. There was no power in the shuttle. There was utter silence. Whatever means the little female had to ensure power to her dwelling had ceased and without knowing how it was accomplished he had no way to know how to fix it. He grabbed his scouter and headed outside. He looked around and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Some limbs had fallen and leaves scattered the rocky embankment, but otherwise nothing was amiss. Deciding there was little he could do here and with the little female sleeping he might as well check on his own camp. Keeping his eyes open for animal tracks he headed the journey back.

When he arrived all was how he had left it with the exception of the tent had collapsed. "Blast!" he cursed the morning air. After an hour had passed he had cleaned up his camp site and re-pitched his tent. Slowly and methodically he began his katas. When he felt his muscles slide smoothly with each motion he began to ramp up his exercises.

"I wonder what she is doing" he said aloud before shaking his head. "Why should I care?" He asked with a growl. "I am the Prince of All Saiyans, the Dark Prince!" He proclaimed before sitting on the log near the empty fire pit and drifting into deep thought.

 _I am the feared prince, why am I acting this way? Never have I shown such sympathies to another. This is a distraction, an infatuation and I need to stop this. But what is the harm of using her shuttle for shelter and supplies? She is more than willing to serve me._

"Bah!" Vegeta grumbled as he stood up and began to take his frustration out on a nearby tree. Restraining himself as he punched and kicked the tree was only making him more infuriated with each passing moment.

"Did they mean for me to rot on this mud ball of a planet?" Vegeta said with a growl. Then the scent hit him. Some sort of wild game scented from upwind and not far off. He forced himself to still as he listened. Something definitely on four legs was out there. He let his ki sense the animal as he tracked it to the north. It didn't take him long to locate the source. Two deer grazing on the grass of the hills just past the clearing. Before they could see him it was too late as he broke the neck of the one closest to him, leaving the other to run off. YES, his mind screamed as he carried the beast back to his camp and using his knife he gutted and skinned it.

He looked at his hands, bloodied with the task and felt oddly satisfied. "This is what I have been craving. The thrill of the hunt. The kill." He boasted in a blood lusted growl. He removed his shirt and dipped his fingers into the congealing pool of blood and ran them along his chest and face with a roar. His wounds on his arm already healing and forgotten. He set the carcass to cook as he began the process of tanning the hide. As night began to fall he sliced pieces off the carcass and ate until he was satiated. His mind only on the thrill of the kill and clouded by the smell of the blood he did not sense the blue eyes upon him.

oOo

That night he dreamt of Frieza and purging planets. He slept but he did not rest. He woke in his tent, alone and cold. He moved his stiff muscles and ventured beyond his tent. The carcass of the beast still sat on the spit over a dead fire, its entrails attracting vermin. The sweet sickly smell of rot accosted his nose and he decided it was time to wash the dried blood off of his skin. He made his way to the river bank but purposely tracked it down stream as to avoid seeing the little female, lest she cast her magic over him again.

He walked to the water's edge and waded in. The water was deeper here than upstream and he was able to bathe in the cool mist. When he finished he returned to the embankment and stretched out, allowing the sun to dry him. After a while he headed back to his camp and back to his mission. By nightfall he had exhausted himself and climbed into his cold tent, all the while fighting the urge to check on the silly woman.

He dreamt that the woman was with him and that Frieza had come and taken her. In his dream he raged and attacked the tyrant only to be beaten down as Frieza took his woman. Vegeta woke up in the dark, in a panic and the need to see that the woman was safe took over any rational thought. He flew the distance between his camp and hers and found the lights were off and she was not there. He attempted to scent her out but was unable to. As he exited the shuttle he saw her clothes laying out on the rocks, recently washed and left to dry.

A cool breeze brought the scent of his kill and the thought occurred to him that maybe she was back at his camp. Flying back he looked for her foot prints in the dirt but saw none. As he touched down at his camp he could smell her but not see her.

"Come out little one" he called but she remained hidden. A pang of regret hit him as he looked at the carcass and the mess he had made in his blood lusted rage. Bowing his head he quietly entered his tent and laid down, his emotions jumbled. "This is who I am. I kill to survive." He said solemnly as he closed his eyes and concentrated on her ki, she wasn't far. Just as he was about to fall asleep her ki tickled the back of his mind right before he felt her crawl into his tent. She lay down next to him and he instinctively put his arm around her and pulled her close. _Perhaps I can just let this be and see what becomes of it_ , he concedes _._

"Bulma follow Vegeta" she said sleepily.

"Hnn" he said as he drifted off to sleep.

oOo

The next morning he woke up on his back with the woman draped over him. _She had no sense of personal space_ he thinks with a groan as he detangles himself from her limbs. He looks back slightly toward her sleeping figure and leaves the tent before he can act on his body's reaction to her proximity. He heads to the river to douse his flames of desire in the cold water. As he stands he sees her standing there, watching him. A cold breeze flows down the river and he can see the bumps on her skin as she shivers. He walked up to her and using his ki he dries off and warms her with one swift action.

"The mornings are getting colder." He says absentmindedly and she nods her head. "You must have warmer clothes than this?" He asks as he touches the tattered edge of her skirt. She does not answer but looks at him, her blue eyes piercing into his soul. He runs his finger over her chilled cheek. "How in the world have you survived out here for so long by yourself?" He asks, not expecting an answer.

He takes her by the hand and leads her back to the shuttlecraft. As they enter the common area the lights come on. Scattered all around the common area are tools and bits of machinery and wires. Vegeta walks around the room takes in all in.

"What have you been up to?" He asks.

"Bulma fix." She tells him in her broken Saiyan.

"You mean you fixed the lights?" He asks incredulously.

She nods her head before excitedly taking him by the hand and leading him outside and around the side of the shuttle to a ladder. He follows her up the ladder to find large black panels attached to over half the surface of the ship. He turns and faces her, "you did this?" he asks.

"Bulma not silly, Bulma fix." She tells him.

"What is under here?" He asks, pointing to under the panels. The ship was bigger on the outside than what he had seen from inside. Bulma throws her hands up in a universal 'I don't know' gesture. Vegeta grabs Bulma up and float down back to the entrance of the ship. They turn right into the kitchen area where there is a yellow wall.

"Based on what we can see of the roof, this wall must move somehow." He says. Convinced the wall must slide he shoves it and it gives way ever so slightly. He shoves some more and is able to make enough room to get his fingers in and push the sliding door the rest of the way open. He slides his hands along the corridor searching for the knob that should be there, like in the rest of the ship, to control the lights. Two steps down the hall and he found it.

Switching on the lights he was able to make out six doors. As he made his way down the hall he could feel the woman right behind him. The first doors on the right and left were empty bedrooms, beds still nearly made. The next door on the right revealed an even larger bedroom with a large bed. There were personal items littered all around the floor and clothes in the drawers and closets. Bulma ran her hand over the clothes with wide eyes, as if almost remembering them. Vegeta crossed the hall and opened the next door. His eyes widened with what he saw. Toys and books scattered the floor and centered on the far most wall was a crib with one side missing. Above it B-U-L-M-A spelled out in wooden letters. His heart constricted, this must have been her room. _How small was she when they crashed?_ He wondered.

He turned and was glad the woman had not followed him into this room. He shut the door and went in search of her. He found her down the hall in the next room sitting at a table looking at diagrams of the ship, detailing different elements of the construction. Her hand traced the patterns. On the shelves were bits of machinery and tools.

He left the room and opened the door to the final room. It was a storage area with stairs leading down. He followed the stairs down and found the engines, their metal twisted and broken. On the far end of the ship's engines was the partially mummified corpse of a man, impaled on the twisted metal. Even in its decayed state he could tell that this was not the man from the photograph upstairs. Deciding he would have to come back and take care of it later he left the corpse and headed back up to the main level, shutting the doors behind himself. As he entered the hallway he saw the glimpse of blue leading out of the hallway and back to the common area. When he caught up with her she was putting the machinery and wires in a crate. She clicked something in her hand he could not see and threw it at the crates and with a puff of smoke they were gone. Bulma giggled and picked up the capsule. She turned to show Vegeta whose mouth was hanging open.

"What is the world is this?" He mumbled as he turned the object over in his hands.

"Capsule. See?" She asked as she showed him her hands with six more capsules in it.

"What's in them?" He asked as he followed her back in to the kitchen.

She smoothed a piece of paper out on the table and ran her hand down the numbers as she matched them with crude drawings. "See?" She repeated pointing to the pictures.

Gently taking his thumb he lifted her head so she would look at him, "I don't understand. No see." He told her.

Taking a deep breath she huffed, blowing the hair out of her eyes in frustration. She took the red capsule with a 4 on it and held it up to his face and then pointed to the symbol on the paper, which to Vegeta's eyes were nothing more than a bunch of squares with red triangles in them. Pushing the plunger she dropped the capsule and when the smoke cleared Vegeta saw crates with the same 4 on them. Bulma walked over and opened one to reveal more plastic pouches of rations. Using her teeth she opened one and fished out a dried red object. She popped it into her mouth and began to chew. Vegeta picked up a pouch and followed suit, hit taste buds rewarded with the sweet dried fruit within.

After he finished eating he decided that he had wasted enough time today with the woman and he needed to let out some pent up energy. He walked outside and was followed closely by Bulma.

"Go inside woman." He instructed but she just stood there and looked at him with those big blue eyes. "You are like a lost pet. I will return. Vegeta will follow Bulma." He told her. She seemed to understand and went back inside. He flew off to go train.

oOo

Several hours later the sun began to set and Vegeta decided to check on his camp but to his surprise all that remained was an empty fire fit. His tent, his bag, even the animal carcass was gone. Knowing only one person could be responsible he headed back to the shuttle. As expected the firewood sat stacked neatly near the front door. Inside he found his bag in the common area. Bulma however was nowhere to be seen. When he heard the running water he assumed she was in the bathroom and so he headed back outside to light the fire and warm his kill.

When he stepped back outside however his kill was not on the spit. Instead there were several fish waiting for him to cook. He wasted no time in lighting the fire and roasting dinner. As Bulma stepped out into the evening air it was Vegeta who nearly lost his breath. Before him stood the vision of an angel in her royal blue dress and bare feet. The smell of soap lingering on her skin as the breeze tossed her washed hair. She had brushed her hair he noticed but had yet to tame it. Standing he walked up to her and she grinned, a slight blush rushing her cheeks. He took a deep breath and instructed her to turn by placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing with one while pulling with the other. When she turned he took her hair and began to plaid it, stepping back in order to tame the length which was past her waist. When he finished he pulled a piece of ribbon that hung from the dress and tied it off.

"There. Now it is out of your way." He said gruffly before turning his attention back to the fish. She smiled and twirled. Vegeta shook his head. "I've been here, what, a week, and already I am playing nursemaid." He grumbled in an effort to fight the smile that threatened to show.

"I suppose you did all of this, even got my bag and tent?" He said, once again teasing her.

"Vegeta follow Bulma." She told him with a smile.

"I suppose I did say that, didn't I. I just didn't know what I was getting myself in to." He said with a slight chuckle as he pulled the fish from the fire and carried it inside.

Vegeta watched her pick at her fish with her fingers, still unaccustomed to eating anything other than her rations. Bulma looked up and caught him staring and he ducked his head down, back into his meal in hopes of hiding the blush that he knew would be evident on his face.

After supper he continued with her lessons. She could name most of the objects in the shuttle's common area so he moved on to the kitchen. She excitedly repeated back his words in Saiyan. He would have to think of new lessons before long. As the night dwindled on and the shuttle darkened he lay with her in the domed room and wait for her to fall asleep. When her breathing evened out and he was sure she was asleep he slipped away back to the engine room to retrieve the corpse. Taking it outside disposed of it by blasting it to ashes. When he slipped under the covers she reached for him in her sleep and he obliged, putting his arm around her protectively and pulling her close.

oOo

As the days moved by they had formed a comfortable routine. He would wake and go hunting, cleaning the carcass far from the shuttle, concerned for her reaction to seeing the dead animal and blood. By the time he would returned the beast and place it on the spit to cook it would no longer look like whatever it had been while roaming the wild. He would leave Bulma to tend the fire while he would go off on his own to either meditate or train. In the evening they would eat and he would teach her his language.

By his calculations three weeks had passed in this lazy fashion and he was growing quite fond of the woman. The more she could express herself the more he realized that she was not dimwitted by any sense of the word. She was quite brilliant in fact. His lessons were more to correct her pronunciation or grammar than what things were. And that was why he was sitting alone right now. What were they exactly? He had no name for their relationship. He had come to look forward to seeing her when he returned at the end of the day. To see her smile at him or look at him with those piercing blue eyes that would stop him in his tracks. There was no denying he was becoming attached to her. With her there was no pretense of who he should be, he could simply be. As foreign of a concept as it was he was enjoying it. He felt new purpose in caring for her. The problem was it would have to come to an end, whether in five months or five days, then what?

Then there was the daily struggle to restrain himself from losing himself completely to her and he was beginning to think she had some understanding of the effect her closeness was having to him. More than once in the past week had she pressed herself against him to feel his body wanting and aching with need in the mornings. He was no stranger to the carnal desires having served on Frieza's ship for so many years but he was certain she was still a virgin.

Lastly there was still the problem of getting in to the control room which he was sure of was behind the one door Bulma was afraid of. The ground was blanketed with frost and he was determined to find a way to heat the shuttle. The engines were beyond repair, that he had determined two weeks ago, but he was hoping if the electric and the water worked from the panels on the roof, maybe the heat would as well. He just hadn't found any controls for the heat. With his mind set to the one task he could do something about he returned to the shuttle.

When he entered he saw Bulma walking around the kitchen, still clumsy with the addition of boots but her feet were glad for the protection from the rocks and the cold. She smiled at him when she saw him and he smirked.

"Seriously woman, how did you survive out here this long without me to care for you?" He asked, teasing.

"I manage better off than you." She said laughing.

He chuckled and grabbed the coat they had found in her mother's closet. "Here, put this on" he instructed, holding the coat out to her. When she was done he handed her a basket. "The berries over the hill are beginning to drop and attract vermin. If you want to keep them you may wish to go pick them." He offered, hoping this would serve as enough of a distraction to keep her away long enough to do what must be done.

Her face lit up with a smile at the thought of the purple berries and she waved as she walked off to go fetch them. Vegeta could only shake his head at her gesture. Never before was he concerned with the sensibilities of another seeing a dead body, but as with all things where she was concerned he was different.

When he was sure she was far enough away he went back into the common area and forced the door open. The musky smell of leather hit him almost immediately. He felt the walls for the switch and turned on the lights. There, still strapped to their chairs, were two men. Vegeta let out a sigh of relief. Neither of these men looked like the man in the photograph either. So the question still remained on how she came to be here, like this.

He carefully removed the mummified remains and set them to ash as he had the first corpse and returned to the control room. He stood at the panel and studied it for some time. It was in the same foreign language as the many books on the walls.

"Damn them for not teaching her their language." He cursed as he got up from the panel.

As he entered the common area he closed the door to the control room. He crossed into the kitchen and washed his hands. It was then he heard her giggling from out front and wondered what had tickled her so. As he crept out the front door he saw her sitting in the dirt feeding the berries to a baby deer, its mother several paces back. Unfortunately when the deer caught sights of Vegeta it took off running.

Bulma stood and brushed herself off. She smiled as she showed him her basket. Vegeta followed her inside and took the basket from her. Her nose was pink from the cold morning air and Vegeta felt renewed purpose in getting heat inside the shuttle.

"Follow me." He beckoned as he went down the corridor to the room with the blue prints. He picked up several and handed them to her. "Do you know how to read these?" He asked. She looked at him for a minute before nodding. "This is serious, Bulma. Can you decipher these?" He asked again.

"Yes." She replied.

"Do you think you can operate the controls in the main room? Turn the heat on?" He asked. Her face visibly paled. "It's okay. They're gone." He said as he took her by the hand and lead her to the control room. He could feel her pull back, resist, as he opened the door but he did not let her run. "See, nothing here." He said showing her the room.

She stepped into the room, her eyes darting from side to side as if waiting for something to jump out at her.

"I'm right here. You're perfectly safe." He soothed. She stepped up to the big control panel. "You're looking for the Environmental Controls, but I don't know what that would be in that blasted language." He told her.

Her hands traced the panel for a minute before she reached out and took the blue prints from Vegeta. She opened them and spread them over the controls. He watched as he mind began working the puzzle. Before long he was forgotten as she was engrossed in her task. He left her in the control room while he set of to train for the day, confident that she would be fine.

With her ki constantly tickling the back of his mind he used it to strengthen his senses. He had gotten used to tracking her movements throughout the shuttle and for some distance around it. She usually did not venture far from the safety of her home. He was doing pushups when her ki spiked and sent him flying back to see what was wrong.

When he entered she was pacing back and forth in the kitchen, a rag pressed to her wrist. She visibly relaxed when she saw him. He reached for her hand to see what she had managed to do to herself. His eyes widened at the large gash oozing blood, mere millimeters from having severed a vein.

"My Gods, woman!" He cursed as he pulled her arm to the sink to wash it. When the cold water hit it she hissed but did not pull back. When he looked up he saw the tears in her eyes and his heart clenched. He swallowed past the lump forming in his throat. Nothing in his medical kit was for this. He carefully sat her at the table and kneeled on the floor in front of her. He looked up at her pushed some strands of hair back. "This will hurt. I won't lie to you, but only for a minute." He promised. He watched carefully as she nodded. Without taking his eyes from hers he slowly pushed some of his ki into her wound, effectively burning it closed. She whimpered slightly and her arm tensed, but she did not cry out or pull away. When he released her arm she flew at him, nearly knocking him over, and wrapped her arms around him.

After a moment Vegeta pulled her off of him and looked at her red, puffy face. "What did this?" He asked. She stood up and started walking to the control room.

"Bulma cut the engine from the controls. See?" She said pointing to a panel she had removed and wires were hanging out. One the edge of the panel was a jagged piece of metal, blood beginning to dry on it.

"I see." Vegeta said as he walked up and snapped the offending piece of metal away. "Why disconnect the engines?"

"Vegeta say engines are badly broken. Engines pull energy away from controls. Now, controls work. See?" She asked pointing to the display that is now lit up. Vegeta walked up to the panel and could now make out the navigational system as well as the environmental controls. The once dead control room was alive again and, for the most part, operational.

"If there is no fuel how does the ship maintain energy?" He asked himself.

"Panels on roof take energy from sun. Energy stored in boxes. Control panels tell energy where to go." Bulma explained in her ever expanding Saiyan.

Vegeta turned and looked at her. He had not really expected an answer. The fact that she was able to decipher the diagrams to the ship and correct the power issues was outstanding. He walked up to her and cupped her hand in his palm, "Your mind is really going to waste here." He said wistfully before turning back to the control panel.

"Perhaps we can figure out where you are from based on the star charts and navigational system." He said as he began flipping through some files on the main computer.

Bulma walked up and put her hand over his. "Heat first." She said laughing.

"Okay, heat first." Vegeta relented and moved over to the environmental controls. As he scrolled through the settings and adjusted the temperature one thing caught his attention, but he would have to look into it further, but if he was reading it correctly the ship had the ability to adjust the gravitational pull in individual sections of the ship. He smirked when he thought of the possibilities.

Later that night he woke up to Bulma thrashing about in her sleep. She was calling out in a foreign tongue. Although he could not understand what she was saying he was sure she was having a nightmare, having experienced enough of his own to know the sight. He pulled her close to him, "Shush now. It's alright. I'm right here." He whispered and she calmed at the sound of his voice. He lay awake pondering what this new development could mean. If she could call out in this foreign tongue did that also mean that she could read it? Did working with the blue prints unlock part of her memory? Feeling his limbs grow heavy with sleep he decided that time would tell and let it be.


	3. Chapter 3 Self Control and the Beast

Self Control and the Beast

One thing Vegeta was grateful for was the lack of a full moon. When he first landed he felt the pull of the moon but it passed beyond the horizon and did not come back into view. By his calculations he had been here nearly two months and half of that time there was no moon whatsoever. Unfortunately, tonight the moon began to rise once again and he could feel the pull of The Great Oozaroo within him. The beast clawed at him, begging to be set free after so long of a confinement. Vegeta realized he was going to have to shelter on the other side of the planet soon and let the beast out. Having come to this conclusion he returned to the little shuttle.

As he made his way to the river bank he could already see Bulma working on a piece of wood. Sure she had not sensed his presence yet, he stood quietly and watched as she used a flat stone to expertly hollow out the wood and smooth the rough bark from the exterior. She stopped and wiped the hair from her eyes and she caught sight of him across the river bank and smiled. He closed the distance between them and took her hands in his.

"You're freezing, woman." He scolded as he looked at her red fingers.

"I not freezing." She replied sheepishly, a flush crossing her cheeks at his touch.

"You can work on this inside, where it's warm." He instructed as he lead he back to the shuttle.

Once inside she removed the oversized boots and coat revealing her slender figure. She was malnourished looking when he first laid eyes on her but she had gained some weight with the addition of his hunting. He smirked as she slipped past him and to the kitchen where several books lay open on the counters and table. Since she had access to the manuals she had learned how to operate the stove, much to his delight. It only took several burned carcasses for her smooth out any wrinkles. When she opened the door to the oven the sweet smell of roasting meat hit his senses and his stomach agreed, it was time to eat. She pulled the meat from the oven and set it on the counter. She stirred something that was sitting in a pot on the top of the stove. Vegeta came up behind her and peeked into the pot to see it full of a fluffy white grain Bulma called rice. As he crossed the small kitchen behind her his hand had become bewitched and glanced across her back before making his way to the roast. He glanced at her and saw her blush once again. Doing his best to ignore it, he concentrated on carving the roast before him.

They ate in awkward silence and Vegeta noted that Bulma would not make eye contact with him. Deciding to force the issue he cleared his throat. "Do you know how old you are?" He asked. She put down her fork and looked at him for a minute, trying to figure it out. "I will be eighteen years old in a couple of months, fully grown." He said as he pushed out his chest in an effort to make himself bigger.

"I no know." She replied simply. "What is year?" She asked.

"I don't know." Vegeta corrected.

He sat back and considered the best way to explain the concept of a year to her. "Where I am from every time the suns rise and set is one day. It takes 562 days for the planet to go around the suns. That is one year." He explained.

"Then my age depends on which planet you are counting it on." She commented with a slight uneasy giggle to her voice. Her eyes returned to her plate as she continued to push the food around with her finger.

Vegeta watched her with concern. It was not like her to be so quiet. Since he had taught her his language there were days where he was sure she would never cease talking. Hell, the damned woman even spoke in her sleep. For her to be so quiet now was unsettling to him. Setting down his fork he sighed, "Alright, out with it. What's on your mind?" He demanded.

"You never tell me about you. How you came here. Did you crash too? If you have a broken ship maybe I can fix it or use parts to. . ." She rambled as Vegeta cut her off.

"Okay, slow down. Firstly, I am here as a rite of passage. I am to survive the wilds. I was dropped off and will be picked up when my time is done" Vegeta replied. "So, there is no other ship." Vegeta added, his voice low and measured. He watched as a thought ran across her mind and then was gone.

"I think you cheat." She replied in a mocking tone as she stood up and placed her dishes in the sink. Without another word she walked into the common area. Her words may have sounded jovial but her body language was most definitely hostile. Vegeta was becoming more accustomed to her rapid changing moods and what was worse, he craved them.

His feet had already set the path to follow her before his mind had caught up to the fact he was chasing after her like some love sick pup after a lover's quarrel. When he entered the common room she had her back to him. He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms at his chest. "Hmph" he breathed as he braced himself mentally for the onslaught that he was sure to come.

She turned and planted her hands on her hips. _Here we go!_ Vegeta thought gleefully as he stared at her lips as she inhaled. _I wonder what they would look like swollen from a kiss?_ He wondered idly, completely missing the first few insults tossed his way.

"That is the way of things?!" She accosted.

Not having paid attention to what she was saying he quickly replied, "It is" with an air of authority.

Bulma's feral eyes narrowed dangerously as she crossed the room and stood in front of him, their noses nearly touching. Without warning she reached up both hands and held his face as she kissed him. Without realizing what he was doing he deepened the kiss. His self control faltered and his hand wandering the exposed flesh of her back and his tail unfurled from his waist and wrapped around her thigh, possessively. He felt a spark of fire grow deep within and pulled away and schooled his tail back to his waist. He left her standing there, panting, as he flew off in the cold night wondering what in the Great Elders he had just agreed to.

Blaming the nearness of the beast for his lapse in control Vegeta flew. Vegeta flew until the pounding in his chest stopped. He flew until the desire to free her from her clothing and throw her on the floor gave way to the numb of the cold. He flew until he felt the great beast raise its head in acknowledgement of the moon. He stopped and lowered himself to the ground. As he looked around himself he realized that absolutely nothing was familiar. The lush forest had given way to jungle and large outcroppings of rocks with a sharp fall off to a river below. He sat and stretched his senses out to check on her but found he was too far away to locate her ki.

With no life forms of any threat for miles he let down his guard and smirked as he looked up to the moon. "Not quite full" he told himself. The beast would have to wait. Still too restless to sleep and not wanting to return to the shelter of the shuttle until he had gained control of himself, he decided to explore the land around him. He found several small caves and decided to shelter in one until the morning.

The next few days where a haze as the pull of the moon had him in a blood frenzy. He hunted and ate his fill. When he felt the change finally about to come on he stripped from his garments and began to fold them. Overtaken by unknown sentiment he brought his shirt to his nose and inhaled the aroma that still clung to them that was uniquely Bulma. However, something was off that he could not place. He laid the garments on the floor and allowed the moon's full power over him and he shifted, letting lose the beast within with a roar. Although Vegeta was ready to go on another hunt the beast was only interested in the scents on the clothing below. His massive fingers picked up the discarded garments and smelled them. And like a light bulb that had been turned on his mind recognized the scent. _The little female was in heat_ , his mind realized. _Surely she is old enough and even wild animals have carnal desires_ , his beast's mind reasoned. With this one singular thought he set off in search of a new prey.

oOo

Thankfully, for Vegeta, he had flown nearly half way across the planet and was not able to traverse anywhere near as far in his Oozaroo form. He spent the next several days dimwittedly and lustfully searching for Bulma. When the beast finally left him he spent another two days sleeping and attempting to reason with the beast. When the beast finally passed into a dreamless slumber, Vegeta felt his control slip back into place.

When he finally made his way back to the shuttle it was dark, both inside and out. He had been searching out her ki once the terrain had become familiar but had yet to pick it up. He dropped down at the shuttle entrance and found the door open. As he walked inside there was an eerie silence. He went straight for the control room and turned on the heat. He frantically searched the rooms but to no avail, she was not in her little home. He went outside and levitated above the tree tops. Forcing himself still he let his ki sense out hers.

"Where are you, little one?" He murmured to himself in frustration. Although her ki pattern was unique is was barely above the wildlife that hunted these grounds.

With a glimmer of guilt he conceded that he was not going to find her like this. He returned to the shuttle and looked about for clues to where she could have gone. All over the table where books and papers, she had been working on the lessons he gave her in writing in Saiyan but her genius of a mind had begun translating the books from her native language into Saiyan. Curious, she could read the language but not speak it. Well only speak it in her sleep but he had not told her that, not yet anyway. Now she had begun translating it. He looked about the kitchen and saw her boots and coat were still there which meant that she had not intended to go far or had abandoned their use once away from his watchful presence. She had a tendency to 'forget' to use a fork, for example, if she thought he was not around.

The only place she would go to without using the coat and boots was the river to fetch fish. He sprinted to the river and found several blood stained rags that she was washed out and left to dry, now frozen to the rocks. The relatively freshly fallen snow hid any tracks from the shuttle to the river but across the river he thought he saw something. Leaping across he brushed the snow from the heap and was relieved to find it was only a dead wolf. His mind raced. Was she attacked? Where did all the blood come from? How did the wolf happen to be here? One question was answered as he examined the corpse. A knife from the kitchen was still handle-deep in the belly of the wolf. She must have killed it.

"I was a fool to think you couldn't handle yourself out here, my little one. Now, where are you hiding?" He asked with a smirk and budding sense of pride. The only other place he had seen her was his old camp site but she would have no reason to be out that far without him. "Unless she was searching for you, you damned fool." Vegeta berated himself as he set off in that direction.

When he arrived he was rewarded with foot prints. He crouched down and placed a finger in the outline. The mud was dry, meaning it had been some time since she had passed this way. The indents were deeper by the heel indicating she was running when she passed by this way. He traced the shape with his finger and frowned at the impression of five toes.

"Damned women is barefoot" he cursed as he stood. "Such a fool-hearted creature." He said as he shook his head at her defiance. Setting on the direction she was running based on the imprints he took off in that direction.

About an hour later is stomach growled as the scent of something cooking hit his senses followed by the faint glimmer in the back of his mind, Bulma. He looked around at the forest. The trees were sparser, thinner but the foliage was thicker. He let his nose lead the way onward. Five minutes. . . ten minutes. . . twenty minutes… then he spotted it. There, nested deep in the side of an enormous hill was an opening illuminated by fire, the smoke of which was being carried on the chilled autumn breeze. His heart leapt in his throat as he flew the remaining distance and touched down on the gravel outside. A blanket served as a barrier to the elements. Inside he felt her ki spike. He drew back the blanket and entered, his eyes searching her out. He felt something hard hit him in the back of the head and barely registered blue as he fell to the floor. Light glimmered off something metallic hurling towards him as he reached out and grabbed the thin wrist that wielded it. In a fraction of a second he had his attacker on her back as he lay over top of her, staring in surprise.

"Woman!" He growled in warning and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Vegeta!" She exclaimed as she dropped the knife, his hunting knife he noted.

Adrenaline pumping, Vegeta acted without thinking. He released her wrists and reached down and cupped the back of her head with his hand and brought his lips down crashing on hers, supporting his weight on his left arm. Her hands flew up and ran up his back, under his shirt. He growled against her lips. His mouth covered hers as he traced her neck and shoulder with his hand before continuing down and feeling the swell of her breast.

His mouth worked his way down her jaw and to her neck and she moaned in response, her hands tickling his scalp. He pulled away slightly as his body reacted to hers. She closed the distance and began kissing him on his jaw and nipping at his neck. He growled in response and she smiled against him. He felt her hot breath on his neck and he forced himself to a sitting position using his hands to support his weight. Vegeta groaned inwardly as she did not seem to understand that he was attempting to withdraw from the situation. She climbed on top of him and sat on his lap facing him, straining his resolve. She kissed and nipped at his jaw and smiled as she felt his body respond. Her hands explored his chest and neck and with every movement he was becoming painfully aware that she was wearing precious little underneath her dress as the dampness began to seep through.

She reached up and took his face in her grasp and she kissed him. Vegeta's hands betrayed him as they let go of his weight and let them fall backward as his hands traced her thighs and grasped her bare bottom. Bulma arched her back in response causing more weight to press down. Growling, Vegeta flipped them over and now lay over top of her, his tail swayed back and forth behind him. Her hands roamed down his back and pawed at the base of Vegeta's tail. He grabbed her hands and held both her wrists in his one. She strained against his restraint in an attempt to kiss and bite him.

Vegeta chuckled, "Careful little one, biting another in my culture can have serious consequences." Vegeta warned but based on mewing noises she was making she was not listening. He looked down at her and her lips were swollen, her face flushed, and her eyes were pleading. He took a deep breath to try and steel his resolve but his nostrils became filled with the scent of the little female beneath him and his control snapped. His lips met hers and it felt like electricity sparked. His free hand traced up the inside of her thigh and stopped at her opening. Her breath hitched and her back arched with his ministrations. He released her hands and withdrew from her grasp long enough to free himself from his clothes before pouncing on her now naked form. Nearly three months of control came crashing down around them and as the sun rose, both lay naked and asleep in the others embrace.

oOo

Late in the afternoon Vegeta awoke to the chill of the air as Bulma slipped out of the cave. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim light of the cave but as they did Vegeta noticed his surrounding for the first time. He stood and walked around. Several rabbits were suspended upside down and waited to be skinned, their blood drained elsewhere.

"Crafty witch." He commented to himself. She must have been watching him more than he realized. Toward the back of the cave Vegeta found a basket covered with a cloth. He removed it and found skins and furs, but he had to cover his nose to block out the smell of rot emanating from them. He covered the basket over and carried it outside where he found Bulma setting up a fire pit.

"What are you doing with these, woman?" He asked as he tossed the basket to the ground.

"For the wolves." She replied indignantly as she went to pick up the basket but Vegeta kicked it down the hill.

"I don't think so." He replied curtly as he wrapped his arm around her. "Leave it." He instructed.

"How will I keep them away?" She asked angrily.

"I will keep them away." He replied as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"You?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes." He replied cautiously, seeing the anger in her rising.

"How?" She replied but before Vegeta could respond she cut him off. "How when you leave for days at a time, hmm? How, when you are gone?" She spat venomously as she pushed passed him back into the cave.

He followed after her. "What?" He demanded.

She turned and faced him, her face red. She pointed her finger at him. "That is the way of things, you said so." She accused.

"I wasn't listening." He said quietly.

"What?" She asked, not sure she heard him correctly.

"I wasn't listening to what you said then, I just agreed to whatever." He said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Why?" She demanded.

"Damn it, woman! I would have agreed the sky is purple in that moment." Vegeta replied, his voice raised with his confession.

"Why?" She asked again, her confusion evident on her face.

Letting out a metered breath he stepped closer. "Because of this. . ." he replied but left the rest unsaid as he captured her mouth in his, his hands around her waist.

He opened his eyes when he broke the kiss and looked to see her smiling at him. Her hand brushed past her lips as she looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

"Oh" she said breathlessly as she turned and walked back out of the cave.

"Crazy female" Vegeta complained with a smirk.

"Vegeta." Bulma called in a whisper as she gently shook the frame of the man sleeping next to her.

"Hnn." He replied, not truly awake until he heard the howls. Vegeta blinked the sleep from his eyes.

"The wolves." Bulma explained, shoving him.

Vegeta crouched in the opening of the cave and drew black the blanket. The basket of forgotten skins and furs had indeed drawn the attention of the pack of wolves. Vegeta looked back to see Bulma clutching his hunting knife. "Tell me again why we are all the way out here" he said with a smirk. As he dashed forward he grinned, the wolves had not scented him. He let loose a ki blast and set the basket on fire, startling the wolves who scattered to the wind. "Well, that wasn't much fun." He said with a smirk as he dusted off his hands and headed back to the cave.

As he drew back the blanket his eyes met Bulma's and she shivered, her whole arm shaking as she clutched the handle of the knife close to her chest. He looked her over and realized she was wearing the same torn and tattered clothes he had first met her in and shook his head.

"Gather your belongings. We will return to the shuttle." He instructed and she set about gathering the rabbits and several baskets. She set them together and encapsulated them. When she was finished she frowned at him and walked out of the cave. He kicked dirt over the fire and followed after her. He had expected to find her standing on the ledge but instead she was steadily making her way down the hill. He levitated down and stopped in front of her.

"Silly female, do you expect to walk the whole way. Barefoot as well?" Vegeta taunted with a smirk.

"I got here. . ." She replied but before she could finish her thought Vegeta put his arm around her and reflexively she placed her arms around his neck as he levitated back into the sky. She melted into his warmth as he enveloped them in his ki. All too soon they were back at the little shuttle. At the touched down both were hesitant to release their hold on the other but a slight shiver from Bulma brought Vegeta back to his senses.

"Inside, woman." He instructed.

The pair made their way inside the shuttle, not bothering to turn on any lights as they made their way to domes observatory. After Vegeta kicked off his boots he turned to see Bulma already asleep in the pile of blankets on the middle of the floor. He lay down next to her and put his arm around her. He lay awake listening to her breathe and wondered what this new development in their relationship would mean and what new complications it would bring.


End file.
